Sustainability at the iF DESIGN AWARD: Commitment to Impact through design
Sustainability was and is a core component at iF Design, reflecting our ever deeply held belief that “as designers, we have a responsibility to make the world a better place”, as stated by iconic industrial designer Dieter Rams when he received iF Design’s first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award.
To fulfil this responsibility and to honour the design studios, brands and manufacturers that enter the annual iF DESIGN AWARD and innovate for an even better future, we have taken three steps to strengthen sustainability as a core principle of the iF DESIGN AWARD: from 2025, sustainability will make up one fifth of the judging criteria in all 82 categories; we have established a Sustainability Working Group to help integrate core elements of environmental and social impact into the iF jury; and Lisa Gralnek, Managing Director of iF Design USA, has been appointed as iF Design Global Head of Sustainability and Impact.
Uwe Cremering, CEO, iF International Forum Design GmbH
"Our goal is to fully integrate principles of environmental stewardship and social equity into the core evaluation criteria of the iF DESIGN AWARD as part of a multi-year journey to help determine the true social and environmental impact of our participants' projects."
The Sustainability Criteria
Starting with the iF DESIGN AWARD 2025, sustainability will be an integral part of the overall evaluation process. It will now be a key jury criterion in all nine disciplines and 82 categories, and will be evaluated alongside Idea, Form, Function and Differentiation. The iF DESIGN AWARD has replaced the previous criterion 'Impact' with 'Sustainability'. This new category focuses on social and environmental factors and reflects the organisation's commitment to excellence and impact in design.
To ensure this, all participants must answer a number of multiple-choice questions prior to participation in the iF DESIGN AWARD 2025, adapted to the specifics of the discipline and category. For the largest discipline 'Product' and for 'Architecture' this would be:
What sustainable design strategies are incorporated into the design of this product?
How did you design this product/c to promote inclusivity, accessibility, and affordability for all users?
Which design decisions did you take to encourage more sustainable user behavior?
Which design decisions were made to prioritize lower energy consumption and reduced resource use during daily operations? (Architecture)
This process was developed by iF Design's new Sustainable Working Group (SWG), which helped to prioritise topics and define specific questions. Our interdisciplinary experts will also play a key role in the decision-making process for the iF DESIGN AWARD 2025: They will provide proactive and consultative feedback to support the jurors in their decisions in the two-stage jury process - from the online preselection to the iF Final Jury in Hamburg in February 2025.
Sustainability Working Group
Diana Verde Nieto
Founder & Former CEO at Positive Luxury and Clownfish:
“I'm proud and honored to be an Expert for the iF DESIGN AWARD, where innovation, sustainability, creativity, and impactful design come together to shape a better future.”
Joe Brown
Founder, Publisher & Editor at one5c; former Editor in Chief at Popular Science:
“Encouraging sustainable design empowers consumers to make sustainable choices – and the more of those they have, the better off we'll all be.”
Kenny Arnold
Senior Manager, Service Design, Design Activation Team at Ellen MacArthur Foundation USA:
“Design's impact goes beyond form and function. Whether eliminating waste, circulating materials, or regenerating nature, design has a crucial role in creating anything. This is why it is critical to raise the standards for what good design means today and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is happy to help.”
Michael Lanz
Partner at Vagabund Moto, IF DESIGN AWARD Jury Chairperson, Former Managing Partner of designaffairs, Accenture Alumni:
“I’m proud and honored to work alongside a talented team of experts on one of today’s most critical missions: advancing sustainability within our industry.”
Richard Trigg
Design Partner at Tangent:
"Our aim is to guide the industry beyond designing solely for form and function, encouraging a mindset where every design decision considers the planet. Even small, intentional changes can reduce our collective carbon footprint."
Steve Alagna
Senior Sustainability Packaging Engineer, Worldwide Packaging Engineering at Dell Technologies:
“I am truly excited and proud to be a part of the iF Design SWG to contribute my expertise and working with like-minded people to drive a consistent point of view on good design and sustainability awareness and practices that will ultimately reduce environmental impact.”
Teun Van Wetten
Design Director & Head of Sustainability at Accenture Industrial Design
“It is a true honor to support iF Design in its sustainability journey. I am thankful to be given the opportunity to work alongside other talented experts to create positive impact at scale. Afterall, design done right, has the power to do good.”
To be announced
Lisa Gralnek, Managing Director iF Design USA & Global Head of Sustainability and Impact
With over 15 years of experience working in social and environmental topics across a range of industries and geographies, Lisa’s expertise has been instrumental in implementing these changes at iF Design and helping shepherd what iF Design believes will be a new and better design future. “We no longer live in a world where we can relegate sustainable design to its own category, and evaluate it separately,” says Lisa Gralnek. “Great design - be it a product, packaging, platform, place, or policy - should be sustainable. I believe in the power of design to push our world forward, and if we as one of the world’s largest and most prestigious design awards won’t take this step, who will?”
Contact: sustainability@ifdesign.com